News Updates for the Week of January 21

1. Gov. Cuomo Launches Program to Increase Energy Efficiency by 2020 - Gov. Andrew Cuomo has issued The Build Smart NY executive order directing state agencies to increase energy efficiency by 20 percent over the next seven years. The plan to have state buildings more energy efficient by 2020 will be aided by $450 million in low-cost financing from the New York Power Authority. Most projects will require no capital spending upfront, with agencies expected to repay loans through energy savings. http://www.governor.ny.gov/press/12282012-smartny

2. Last Chance for Commercial Buildings Deduction - The Energy Policy Act of 2005 created the Energy-Efficient Commercial Buildings Tax Deduction (CBTD) to encourage owner investment in energy-efficient building systems. The CBTD establishes a special tax deduction rewarding investment in energy-efficient interior lighting, HVAC/hot water systems and building envelope, subject to a cap of up to $1.80/sq.ft. This industry incentive is set to expire on December 31 of 2013. http://lightingcontrolsassociation.org/last-chance-for-commercial-buildings-deduction/

3. Online Registration Officially Opens for LEDucation 7 - The Designers Lighting Forum of New York (DLFNY) will host LEDucation 7, its annual educational event and expo in New York City on Wednesday, March 20th, 2013.  LEDucation 7 will take place from 10:00 am – 8:00 pm at the Hotel Pennsylvania – Penn Plaza Pavilion and will feature a distinct line up of informational educational sessions, as well as a newly expanded expo floor. LEDucation is the largest single day exhibition and educational event dedicated solely to the ever evolving LED market and technology. Admission is complimentary for DLF and IES members; advance registration is $20 with online-registration now officially open at http://www.leducation.org

 

4. LIGHTFAIR International 2013 Registration is Now Open - Register now for this must-attend annual industry event and also purchase courses, seminars, workshops and Networking/Special Event tickets. Register today with this quick and easy pre-populated link:
https://www.xpressreg.net/register/lite043/start.asp?a=C6UJ9A00557B

 

5. Caliper 2012 Year in Review - The US DOE has released a year-in-review of its Caliper program, and suggests that LED products are becoming more efficient, less costly, and producing more light than ever before. In 2012, Caliper reports focused on a single product type, rather than using a number of different lamps and luminaires in a single summary report. By doing this Caliper could provide more in-depth analysis of the performance baseline of conventional products and the expectations for LED products. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/10/1/12

6. UGA Researchers Invent New Material for Warm-White LEDs - University of Georgia scientists have fabricated what is thought to be the world's first LED that emits warm white light using a single light emitting material, or phosphor, with a single emitting center for illumination. The material is described in detail in the current edition of the Nature Publishing Group journal "Light: Science and Applications." http://news.uga.edu/releases/article/new-material-warm-white-leds-011813/  

7. New York Brightens Central Park With LED Installation - The New York City Department of Transportation recently completed the installation of nearly 1,600 LED luminaires that light walkways and grassy areas in Central Park. NYC DOT officials estimate the new LED lighting will reduce energy usage by 62 percent and deliver annual maintenance savings of nearly $30,000 compared to metal halide lighting. The NYC DOT initiated the project in collaboration with the U.S. DOE GATEWAY demonstration program to improve the park environment for local citizens and visitors and to lower energy and maintenance expenses for the city. 12/’12 Electrical Contractor

8. TVA's EnergyRight Solutions for Business - Under the EnergyRight program, qualifying businesses agree to energy efficiency measures and receive payments to help offset their investments. Generally, a business replaces old equipment with equipment approved by TVA and receives a check. Two types of financial assistance, Standard Rebates and Custom Incentives, are available to help reduce your project costs and accelerate your payback. These rebates and incentives are offered through participating local power companies in partnership with TVA. All business customers are eligible for such assistance if they are served by a participating distributor of TVA power. http://www.energyright.com/business/pdf/Standard_Rebate_Application_Lighting.pdf

9. Energy Secretary Chu Said to Plan Exit from Obama's Cabinet - U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu will leave his Cabinet post according to two people familiar with the matter. Chu’s departure will be announced as soon as next week, according to one of the people. The exit will leave the Obama administration with vacancies at the top of the three departments that oversee energy and environmental policy. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Lisa Jackson, who headed the EPA, have announced their intention to leave the administration. 1/18 Bloomberg

10. New LED Street Lights Fail in the Rain – The City of San Antonio and CPS Energy are spending more than $14 million to replace street lights with energy saving LED fixtures. Now the News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooters have uncovered that all 25,000 of the fixtures had to be sent back to the manufacturer because of a glaring defect. And the cause? Rain… getting into the fixtures and shorting them out.  Close to 2,000 of the street lights are already up in a few areas around the city, but installations came to a halt a few weeks ago when some of the new fixtures began to fail. CPS Energy says it evaluated LED fixtures made by eight different manufacturers before selecting the GreenStar/Toshiba lights. The utility says the defect is not a big deal, even though all installed fixtures had to be taken down, and all 25,000 street lights had to be returned to the manufacturer. http://www.woai.com

11. The LED Inevitability - With the growing popularity of LEDs in different applications, manufacturers are offering more choices, leaving end-users with a dizzying selection of the latest and greatest technology, and they often pass off the specifying to electrical contractors (ECs) who are becoming more experienced with and knowledgeable about LEDs. LED technology use typically at least 75 percent less energy than incandescent lighting, last 2-5 times longer than fluorescents, and qualify for the sought-after Energy Star rating.  http://www.ecmag.com/section/lighting/led-inevitability

12. LED Lighting CAGR to Reach 31% in 2010-2020 - According to Japan-based Toshiba Lightech, Japan's LED lighting market is expected to account for around 40% of the global LED lighting market from 2012-2013 with penetration rate expected to exceed the global penetration rate. In addition, Toshiba Lightech estimates the CAGR of the global LED lighting market from 2010-2020 to reach 31% due to rapid decreases in price and market growth in Europe, the US and China. http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20130117PD222.html

News Updates for the Week of December 31

1.     32,256 Philips LEDs Light the Iconic 2013 Times Square - Philips continues to bring innovative LED technology into the lives of millions by lighting the world-famous Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball. New Year’s 2013 marks the 13th consecutive year Philips has served as the official Lighting Partner to the iconic Times Square Ball. The LED lighting on the Times Square Ball demonstrates the latest in innovative LED technology and ushers in a new era of lighting that delivers energy savings, greater light quality, longer bulb life, and dimmability to existing lighting fixtures.  The same innovative technology used in the Ball is commercially available to consumers to use in their home, and continues to become the new standard in lighting. 12/27 BUSINESS WIRE

2.      Draft 3 Version 1.0 ENERGY STAR Specification for Lamps - The ENERGY STAR Lamps Version 1.0 specification shall take effect in early 2014. To qualify for ENERGY STAR, a product model shall meet the ENERGY STAR specification in effect on its date of manufacture. Comments on Draft 3 are due via email to lamps@energystar.gov no later than Friday, January 18, 2013. https://www.energystar.gov/lamps

3.      The 2012 ENERGY STAR Summary of Lighting Programs - The Summary provides an overview of a variety of programs offered by utilities and other energy efficiency program sponsors in the United States to promote ENERGY STAR certified light bulbs and fixtures, decorative light strings, and ceiling and ventilating fans with light kits.  The Summary includes information provided by energy efficiency program sponsors and describes their current program offerings for 2012-2013 and beyond. Each ENERGY STAR lighting program is summarized with a focus on incentives, marketing and consumer education efforts, program contacts, and other relevant program details. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=activity_search.basic

4.      Optional Guided Tour of L.A.'s Streetlights and Operations Center/Museum on January 29 - The city of Los Angeles has the largest LED street lighting retrofit project in the U.S., if not the world, with more than 106,000 luminaires replaced to date. Led by Senior Street Lighting Engineer Orlando E. Nova, the tour will visit selected outdoor installations and hear about the city's aggressive efforts to integrate remote monitoring systems, adaptive lighting, and controls. 2013 DOE Solid-State Lighting R&D Workshop, January 29-31, 2013 • Long Beach, CA. Register at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/longbeach2013_tour.html

5.      tED Magazine's Greenest of the Green Award - Apply for tED's 2013 Greenest of the Green award. Nominations for the 2013 contest will be accepted from Dec. 3, 2012 through Jan. 18, 2013 through electronic submission portal: https://www.formopro.com/mr.asp?2.270235.8 The 2013 Greenest of the Green award will be presented at the 2013 NAED National Meeting; the winning company will be featured in the April 2013 issue of tED. http://www.tedmag.com/greenaward2013/

      6.      Energy-Efficient Lighting Explained: A Guide for Business People Who Aren't Lighting Techies - FREE (reg. $189) - Provided by Real Energy Writers and The Daily Energy Report, this educational guide reveals why lighting is one of the most cost-effective energy efficiency investments you can make today. You will learn about current lighting technologies, the industry's political issues, and what you can do to reduce energy costs. https://www.noesisenergy.com/site/content/energy-efficient-lighting-explained

7.      Cheap Rare Earth Metals Provide a Boost to the LED Industry - A glut of manufacturing capacity and near-collapse in rare earth metal prices is driving down the cost and hence encouraging the rapid take-up of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting. LED lights are based on semiconductors and therefore do not require traditional lamp manufacturing expertise. This has opened opportunities for LED chipmakers to challenge the incumbent incandescent light bulb manufacturers such as Philips, Osram and General Electric. http://oilprice.com

8.      Lightfair International 2013 Expands - LIGHTFAIR^® International (LFI^®) will expand its product presentation and increase its scale in 2013 with the addition of two high-profile categories occupying newly added Hall F space in Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Convention Center. The 2013 additions of solar power and software accelerate LFI’s continuing growth as the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference. The new categories will advance its footprint.  Solar and software naturally complement the core LFI product mix with systems and technologies integral to the lighting industry’s broader reach into energy and control innovations. http://lighting.com/lightfair-international-2013-expands/

9.      India Lighting Industry Expects Healthy Growth in 2013 - The LED Industry is expected to reach around US $ 500 million by 2015 in India. Within the segment, LED street light and LED solar light's demand to increase by leaps and bounds in coming years. The industry as a whole faced a tough time specifically in project sales. At the same time, the consumer category still witnessed a reasonable growth, with CFLs continuing to be the growth driver. The advent of reliable LED products will play a significant role in the industry growth in coming years, as major players in the industry are already offering very good value propositions in the market, making this segment very vibrant and dynamic. The lighting industry in India is growing at nearly 17-18% per annum over the last two to three years. 12/29 The Times of India

 

10.  OLEDs on the Road - The automotive industry is one of the markets where new technologies can appear and interact directly with the consumer. One technology that is struggling to find its feet in the consumer world, but could benefit by inclusion in vehicles, is OLED lighting. While there are questions about its efficiency, and high price, being included in an already expensive item would bring it to the attention of the mass market. German manufacturer Audi is known for its innovations in vehicle lighting, having been the first to include LEDs in tail lamps, and then again in the sidelights of a vehicle. It has now begun to pioneer the use of OLED lighting in vehicles-not just as a lens, but to also create cars that can respond to the driver's mood. http://www.plusplasticelectronics.com/lighting/oleds-on-the-road-71130.aspx